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Is DaVita (DVA) Stock Undervalued Right Now?

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Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.

One stock to keep an eye on is DaVita (DVA - Free Report) . DVA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 14.19. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 21.24. DVA's Forward P/E has been as high as 15.26 and as low as 9.57, with a median of 13.62, all within the past year.

We also note that DVA holds a PEG ratio of 0.81. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. DVA's industry currently sports an average PEG of 1.79. Over the last 12 months, DVA's PEG has been as high as 1.26 and as low as 0.56, with a median of 1.02.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. DVA has a P/S ratio of 1.03. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 1.44.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that DaVita is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, DVA feels like a great value stock at the moment.


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